Herald Blogs

Several activists in Broward’s gay community are hosting a fundraiser for Charlie Crist's campaign for governor next week.

The March 19 event will be held at the home of Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Dean Trantalis, an attorney and the city’s first openly gay city commissioner. The event is the first fundraiser in Broward’s politically active gay community for Crist.

Crist’s Democratic rival, former Sen. Nan Rich of Weston, has been a loyal supporter of gay rights. But Rich is lagging behind in fundraising and gay Democrats want to invest in the candidate they believe can win.

“I know that everyone is saying why have you abandoned Nan Rich? I don’t think we have abandoned Nan,” Trantalis said. “She has been a longtime supporter of equal rights for the LGBT community and she is a great person. ... There are some members of the gay community who have embraced Nan Rich’s campaign and I think that’s fine, but the reality is I don’t believe Nan has the ability to win statewide whereas I believe Charlie Crist has that ability...”

ASSOCIATED PRESS

KAMPALA, Uganda -- Rights activists have petitioned Uganda's Constitutional Court in a case challenging the validity of the country's new anti-gay measure.

The activists — under a group called Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law — filed the petition Tuesday in the presence of some prominent Ugandan gay activists.

Nicholas Opiyo, a Ugandan lawyer who helped to draft the petition, said the new anti-gay law violates the country's constitution because it encourages the discrimination of people based on sexual orientation. He said it will be several months, even years, before judges reach a decision in the case.

Uganda's president enacted the law last month, strengthening criminal penalties against homosexuals despite Western criticism.

The new law allows jail terms of up to life for those convicted of engaging in gay sex.